1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to emergency rescue equipment, and more particularly to equipment for extricating accident victims from motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
A motor vehicle accident site presents a situation where speed and caution are of the utmost concern. Spinal injuries are a threat to many victims. Accident victims are frequently trapped within the vehicle due to damage or obstructions to the doors of the vehicle. In such instances, it is the duty of emergency medical technicians and firefighters to quickly and safely remove the victim from the vehicle for immediate transport to the hospital. Heavy hydraulic implements and an array of specialized tools are utilized to meet any of a number of particular problems which can arise at the accident site.
The windshield of a damaged motor vehicle must be removed in most extrications. The opening created by the removal of the windshield sometimes provides the best available access to the interior of the vehicle for treating and removing the victim, and also permits the insertion of tools necessary to pry away parts of the vehicle to extricate the victim.
The removal of motor vehicle windshields at the accident site creates hazards because of the constant danger of cuts and punctures. Safety lamination constructions substantially reduce the danger of long shards of glass, but many broken edges are always present in a broken windshield and create a danger for the victim and the specialists trying to extricate the victim. The difficulty of removing the windshield is increased because the safety-lamination of plastic within the glass is designed to adhere to the glass. The pieces of the windshield cannot merely be broken away, but this plastic lamination must also be cut. The combination of brittle glass, flexible plastic lamination, and sharp edges present a very significant obstacle to the safe and efficient removal of the windshield.
The currently-accepted technique for removing the windshield of a motor vehicle at an accident site is recommended by the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the Transportation Emergency Rescue Committee standards. According to this technique, a hand ax is used to chop the windshield so as to simultaneously break the glass and cut the plastic lamination of the windshield. The ax is used to either cut out the entire windshield, or some portion of the windshield.
The ax presents a very dangerous, labor intensive and inefficient way to remove a windshield. The hand ax technique usually requires several minutes to cut the entire windshield, which threatens the life of a severely injured victim. Extensive use of the ax itself creates a hazard due to the hectic nature of the accident site and the urgency under which the windshield must be removed. Such dangers are further magnified by difficult conditions at the site, such as rain, snow, or darkness. The head of the victim frequently rests against the windshield, and use of the ax near the victim is dangerous due to the proximity of the ax to the victim. Also, the jarring motion of the ax can aggravate spinal injuries and other injuries where movement of the patient must be carefully controlled. The process is dangerous and tedious, yet must be accomplished in the shortest time possible. The hand-ax technique is tiring and demanding of the time and energy of a rescuer, where the maximum efforts of all should be directed at the task of removing and assisting the victim.
Various power tools have been proposed to remove windshields from motor vehicles during emergency rescue operations, including rotating wheel saws. No prior tool has produced satisfactory results, particularly on broken windshields, where the hard, irregular surface and tough lamination produces significant obstacles to efficient remove. Also, sparking and shock from electrical implements can be a significant concern whenever gasoline fumes or wet conditions are present.